Wherefore the Cornish Iustices of the peace, became humble suiters to the Lords of her Highnes priuy Councell, for a necessary and speedy redresse herein: and through the neuer fayling forwardnesse, and backing of Sir Walter Ralegh, obtayned a reuocation. Howbeit, this ill weed, rather cut off by the ground, then plucked vp by the roote, once, yea twice or thrice grew forth againe, but yet, maugre the warmers and waterers, hath by her Maiesties gracious breath beene euer parched vp, and (as is hoped) will neuer shoote out heereafter, at least it shall still finde an vnited resistance, of most earnest suit, and pregnant reasons, to beat it downe.
The Earles had foure houses, builded Castle-wise for their residence, viz. Trematon, Launceston, Restormel, and Liskerd. But since the principality of Wales and this Duchy became united in one person, the larger scope, and greater commaund of that, hath robbed this of his Lords presence, & by consequence, the strength of these Castles could not so gard them, against the battery of time, and neglect, but that, from faire buildings, they fell into foule reparations, and from foule reparations, are now sunke into vtter ruine.
King H. the 8. affecting his honour of Newelm, & respecting the commodities, which Wallingford Castle might afford it, tooke this last by act of Parl. from the Duchy, & in lieu thereof, annexed certain manners lying in Corn.falne [81] to the Crowne, through the Marques of Excesters attainder: which Queene Marie afterwards restored in tayle to his sonne, the Earle of Deuon, and vpon his issueles decease receiued them againe.
It were against duetie to make question, whether in this exchange, the kings meaning went with his pretence; and yet wee finde it an ordinary policy amongst Princes, to send their successours, with a kinde of libera, or honoraria legatio, into the remoter quarters of their dominions, as if they would shunne occasions of ielousie, springing from an ouer-neere neighbourhood.
Howsoeuer, the same King, not long after, passed away, this Castle, vnto Christs Colledge in Oxford, who vse it as a place of retrayt, when the Vniuersitie is visited with any contagious sicknes.
I haue vnderstood, that question is made amongst men of knowledge, what is become of this Duchy. Some holding it altogether extinct, for want of the kings issue male: some auerring, that it is suspended in nubibus (as they say) pro tempore: and some supposing, that it continueth in full power, and that her Maiestie hath onely custodiam ducatus, as of Bishopricks, sede vacante. Penes Iudicem lis sit. Once, euery Sheriffe is summoned to enter his account in the Duchy Exchequer, at Lostwithyel, and from thence, referred ouer to the Exchequer above.
Cornwall considered as a part of the Realme, sorteth her gouernment into two kindes; spirituall, and temporall.
Touching the spirituall: In ancient times this Shire had his particular Bishop: and I find, how in the yeere, 905. Forinosus the Pope sent a sharpe letter to Edward the sonne of Alfride, reproouing him, for suffering the West Saxons to be destitute of Bishops seuen yeeres together. Whereon, by the aduice of his Councell, and Arch-bishop Pleymund, he ordayned seuen bishops in one day; amongst whome Herstane was consecrated to Cornwall, and Eadwolfe to Crediton, which last had three townes in Cornwall, assigned him, to wit, Pontium, Coelling, and Landwhitton, that thence he might yeerely visit the people, to root out (as mine author sayth) their errours: for before, as much as in them lay, they withstood the truth, and obeyed not the Apostolike decrees. Whereon I ground two collections: the first, that the light of the Gospell tooke not his originall shining into these parts, from the Romish Bishop: the other that the Cornish (like their cousins the Welsh] could not bee soone or easily induced to acknowledge his iurisdiction. The Bishops see was formerly at S. Petrocks in Bodmyn; but by reason the Danes burned there his Church and palace, [979.] the same remooued to S.